Well Christmas is well and truly over for another year.   The tree and all the decorations can be taken down.
    Sometimes you think all the goodwill and all the generosity and all the caring about the unfortunates in our society has gone as well.   It is back to work and the real world.
    The Christian church though hasn’t completely finished with the Christmas story.   Today (tomorrow technically the 6th of January) is the feast of Epiphany.   It celebrates the three wise men, or the three kings who have followed a star that has led them to the infant Jesus.
    In the early accounts  started off as three wise men - the Magi and eventually changed to three kings - to be the kings from Africa, India and Asia - others said they were kings from Arabia and Persia.
    The Magi were a real group of people,  originally from Persia.   They were a sect of holy men or priests.    They were supposed to have had special powers of divination - they could have dreams and they could dream dreams.  They were given a powerful position by the king and were always consulted on great matters of state.      Words that come to us from their name are magic and magistrate.
    In the Hebrew Bible, the prophet and leader Daniel is made one of the Magi but it is not a popular move - hence the Magi had him tested in the fiery furnace and the lions den - but of course Daniel’s magic was as good as - if not better than theirs - so the story goes.  
One accounts says that what Daniel did was to pass on to the Magi the secret of the coming Messiah - when he would arrive - and how they should find him - by following a star.
    Is it true - or is it a legend?   For many years the Christian church insisted that it was a true story, an historical fact - they still do officially.
    If it was a true story, I would have felt sad for the consequences of this piece of history.    If it was true it doesn’t seem right that every child should die as Herod searched the city for this Messiah child. 
    It would feel sad that this child would then become a refugee and he and his parents would flee to Egypt and not come back for years.   Maybe they had to cash in all that gold frankincense and myrrh to pay for their stay.
    I trust they were welcomed in Egypt from the persecution they were fleeing from.   Probably a good thing it was then and not now.
    They would have a struggle in this day and age.  Newspaper campaigns in this country have set most of the population against  people coming here from foreign countries - either as refugees or migrants.  
    There will always be scallywags who take every opportunity to make the most of any system - but it sad to see every one  depicted as a scallywag - such is the power of the press.  In times gone by, it would have been the Unitarians who spoke up for them.    Some still do.
    There are no longer any Magi in Persia - which was renamed as Iran by the British - with their secret knowledge and their magic and their power over kings and governments.   Did they meddle in politics too - or did they stand aloof and be a spiritual reference point for the leaders of the country.
    Spiritual reference point in terms of being seen as wise and separate from the every day workings of power.
    That is what they stood for in the tale of the epiphany - bringing earthly wisdom and grace to the child who was a heavenly king - sent from God.   A moment when the best of both worlds were joined together.
    The Christian church in the west said that this moment when the wise men, the magi, presented their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh - revealed the infant as being divine and from God - he was God incarnate in a human form.
    The Easter Christian church disagreed and said that recognotion came when he was baptised in the river Jordan by John the Baptist.
    Because of calendar changes, when Julian changed to Gregorian - the Eastern church celebrates Epiphany on the 19th January.
    The Eastern Christian church and the Western Christian church had some major conferences to try and settle their differences - not only about dates - but also about what they believed - their theology. It didn't achieve very much.
    Also celebrated at Christmas time - actually we have missed it - the feast of Steven - the 26th of December - when Good King Wenceslas fed yonder peasant with food and wine.
    After the death of Jesus, the disciples were filled with the holy spirit it was said and they were very active in bringing in new followers.  
    There was a period of confrontation between the priests and this new group.   What should be done about them.  The wise leader Gamaliel said, if they are just another sect, they will die out as others have done - but if what they say is true, how can we go against the work of God ?   Wait and see was his advice and they were prepared to do that.
    Steven changed everything.   He had been appointed as a worker by the original disciples.   They had decided they would spend their time in prayer.
Steven's evangelism upset many different groups in the city and they complained about him.
    He was brought before the temple court on a charge of blasphemy.  He began by first telling the court the whole history of the Israelites from Egypt to Solomon and how Solomon came to build the Temple.
     Then Steven turns on them - God does no need this temple you are so proud of, he said - the whole earth is his temple.
    And you, he tells them, are doing what your predecessors have done to all the prophets  - you have always persecuted those who came with the truth and you are doing the same now.
    And he finished by telling them they were not genuine in their faith anyway  ‘ uncircimcised in the heart’ was the phrase he used.       So they condemned him to death.
    And in a way that was the end of Jesus as the Messiah of the Jews - he was to become Messiah of the world.
    It was this speech of Steven’s that would eventually lead to the conversion of Saul.  In his epiphany, Paul saw the vision of the Christ - as a Universal God for all people.
    This led to his confrontation with the original Disciples.   They would be Jewish still, Paul could wander the world but not Jerusalem.
    And next the Christians of Jerusalem led by Peter fell out with the Christians who were led by Paul.   
    Paul then suffered the same fate as Steven - sentenced to death - but Paul had written his teachings down.  It was all contained in his letters and it was his version of Christianity that survived.
    Christianity from its very beginning progressed through confrontation.
    Paul’s Christianity confronted the Roman empire. The new Christians were told they had no need to obey the laws of the Rome as the Messiah would soon be descending from Heaven to take over.   That the days of the present time were numbered.
    And ever since it has been a religion of confrontation - between state and church; between church and other faiths; between church and the 'heretics'.
    The church  fragmented into denominations and groups - and there is still confrontation.   There is something about Christianity that is always confrontational- about what is the truth and who holds it.
    If only they had listened to Gamaliel themselves.   Let others be.
    As we leave Christmas behind we have these two stories - of the the magi, with their magic and their wisdom offering gifts to a child who was said to be a God.  And Steven with his confrontation.
    If only we could all take that little picture of the epiphany with us throughout the year - individuals and churches and denominations and religions - that message of peace and goodwill to all people.
If only we could all take that little picture of the epiphany with us throughout the year - individuals and churches and denominations and religions - that message of peace and goodwill to all people.  Living with each other in acceptance of our differences - not living by confrontation.   Not demanding that our truth is the only truth.  Not seeking conflict.
    The three magi brought their gifts in peace and adoration to one who was not their own - and they left by another route rather than betray the trust they had in that holy child.
    Perhaps we should go with them, try to be like them.  Be givers of gifts.  Be makers of peace.   Leave that religious pond filled with conflict and follow the star into the river of life.